Acquisition horror stories are nothing new at the Department of Defense (DOD). The three most costly recent mishaps include the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, which is approximately $170 billion over budget and has encountered numerous problems with its software and engine design. Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics (ATL) Frank Kendall referred to the purchase of the F-35 as “acquisition malpractice” in February 2014. The Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship has also faced its share of problems, including concerns over its survivability, inadequate firepower, and corrosion due to a design flaw.
Floundering USPS Needs Reform, Not Expansion
The United States Postal Service (USPS) is a government entity and has operated as such since 1775. It has a straightforward mandate: “To provide postal services to bind the Nation together.” And furthermore, “It shall provide prompt, reliable, and efficient services to patrons.” In 1970, Congress directed that USPS be run like a business, with its activities funded solely through its revenues.
The TPA Debate: Fears & Facts about “Fast-Track”
When Chicken Little said “The sky is falling!” and convinced his barnyard brethren of the same, the facts notwithstanding, he practically invented fear-mongering. Trade liberalization opponents are engaged in their own version of spreading false and misleading information by claiming that so-called “fast track” legislation is fraught with end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it perils. Just as the falling acorn was a whopping example of misdirection, so too is much of the current opposition. Legislators, taxpayers, and the media should separate fear from fact during this critical debate over trade liberalization.
Modernizing the Copyright Office
The digital economy is continuing to grow, and copyright works, including books, movies, music and other creative works, play a large role in that growth. According to the International Intellectual Property Alliance, copyright contributes more than $1 trillion to the U.S. gross domestic product, and copyright industries employ nearly 5.5 million workers. However, as the […]
Finish Fixing Lifeline, Before Considering Expanding
In 2014, the Universal Service Fund (USF) collected approximately $8.5 billion to support telecommunications programs that include the Low Income support services, Lifeline and Link-Up programs; the High-Cost program; the Library and Schools program; and the Rural Health program. The funding for the USF is found in the charges on consumer’s communications bills as a […]
Sen. Warren Goes it Alone in Her War on Auto Dealers
Sen. Warren is having trouble getting anyone to support her war on auto dealer lending. A June 1, 2015 Politico article stated that Warren has been actively trying to garner cosponsors for legislation that attempts to bring the auto finance industry under the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s regulatory jurisdiction. The only problem? Even her fellow Democratic senators […]
The TPA Debate: Fears & Facts about “Fast-Track”
When Chicken Little said “The sky is falling!” and convinced his barnyard brethren of the same, the facts notwithstanding, he practically invented fear-mongering. Trade liberalization opponents are engaged in their own version of spreading false and misleading information by claiming that so-called “fast track” legislation is fraught with end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it perils. Just as the falling acorn […]
The TPA Debate: Fears & Facts about “Fast-Track”
When Chicken Little said “The sky is falling!” and convinced his barnyard brethren of the same, the facts notwithstanding, he practically invented fear-mongering. Trade liberalization opponents are engaged in their own version of spreading false and misleading information by claiming that so-called “fast track” legislation is fraught with end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it perils. Just as the falling acorn […]
Fail and Expand: The USPS Way
In the world inhabited by rational people, when a business repeatedly falters and fails make a profit, it is slated for downsizing and a return to the basic services where it had previously operated effectively. But, in the world of government-sponsored entities, the opposite impulse occurs. Having lost more than $46 billion since 2007, The […]
IRS Hiring of Outside Litigator Appears to Violate Law and Infringe Privacy
In what appears to be an unprecedented and illegal action, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has apparently for the first time hired a law firm to assist in the income tax audit and investigation of a taxpayer. In a May 13, 2015 letter to IRS Commissioner John Koskinen, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) […]